Be The Hands And Feet by Nick Vujicic – BOOK REVIEW

If you have not heard of Nick Vujicic, then stop what you’re doing, go to YouTube and type in his name. He is an amazing speaker, born with no arms and legs who gives hope to others as he shares his story – that God has a purpose for his life. And not just for him, but for all of us. He goes around the world and speaks about the strength and hope found in Jesus Christ.

“If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!”

He is an international and New York Times best-selling author, a husband, a dad, president of the international non-profit ministry Life Without Limbs and an evangelist who wants to see people come to know God for themselves.

When I saw Nick had written a book about sharing the good news of Jesus, I knew I had to get hold of a copy. His love for God and people plus his captivating way of sharing the gospel were enough to move me to buy it.

Nick shares his own story in becoming an evangelist from the moment when he was on the stage facing the congregation as a young person, to opportunities and invitations to speak started to gain momentum when it was apparent that Nick had a passion, desire and a gift in sharing his story and God’s love with others. He shares some of the common questions that he gets asked about faith such as ‘If there is a good God, why does he allow pain in the world?’ and ‘Why would I want to be a Christian? They don’t nearly have as much fun!’ He writes gently, concisely and with humour throughout – like a friend. He then shows the reader how they can know God for themselves and become a Christian.

He is open about his own faith struggles throughout his life and does not gloss over the hard parts. It’s an honest account of the highs and lows of life. There is a chapter about sharing faith at home and his experience of becoming a dad. I absolutely related to the emotions he felt and admire his wife, who seemed much stronger in character than me! It made me think how hard it must be for Nick who cannot hold his children or assist with the physical aspects of parenting. As a new parent, I remember it all too well with the sleepless nights and crying – Nick presents a completely relateable example, but at the same time, it’s a completely different experience because of his disability:

“Most fathers can step in and pick up a baby or chase down a toddler on the run when their mother is busy. I wanted to do all those things but lacked the picking-up and chasing-down limbs.'” (page 60)

“It drives me mad because I can’t pick up and comfort my distraught child, so I’d find myself retreating to a far-off corner where I couldn’t hear the cries. Then I worried I was being a bad dad.” (page 60)

Throughout the book, individuals that know Nick share their stories of working alongside him and Nick presents several examples of people who he has met that are making a difference. He talks about how fostering and adoption is a practical demonstration of faith in action and shares the story of one couple who have experienced the joys and challenges of doing just that.

The Los Angeles Dream Centre is a former abandoned hospital that was transformed into a place for rehabilitation from addictions, homelessness and abuse – Tommy and Matthew Barnett who started this mission believe in meeting practical needs and in doing so, people are meeting Jesus.

There is Xtreme Mobility Camps Inc. which provide blind and visually impaired young people with the opportunity to do extreme sport – the camps are a place to share their faith without forcing it on those who attend, but allow them to experience God’s blessings.

It’s clear: there’s not just one way to share Jesus!

In the second part of the book, Nick talks about the importance of building up a team around you and the value of being mentored and being a mentor, being a role model and working alongside those you mentor to form an alliance in bringing people to Christ. He shares his hopes for the future of the ministry he is involved in whilst sharing his wisdom on ways which he has found helpful when telling others about Jesus. He also shares the challenges of travelling the world – the dangers and close-calls of going to difficult places and the difficulties and joys that can come with meeting world leaders.

In the final section, Nick shares an intimate recount of his father’s life who sadly passed away from cancer. His father, Boris, even penned his own reflection for the book. It is clear that his father was a rock in his journey of faith, but he doesn’t shy away from clashes in opinion, like any father-son relationship. It is a moving testimony. The final chapter is a dramatic downward turn to ill-health when Nick ended up in hospital when he came close to death. It was a frightening time for him and his family – yet Nick still had the anchor of his heart planted into God.

“I will never tell you that God wants you to be rich. I will never tell you that He wants you to have a comfortable life. I have read too much evidence in the Bible that says we need to prepare for the storms and the trials. We need to consider them with joy because the storms produce patience and faith.” (page 227)

This book is full of practical ways to live out the Christian faith in daily life and it is written by someone who does it on a daily basis. I trust Nick because he has experienced the love of God in his own life – which has been marked by an immense amount of suffering – yet, He is still able to love others with the same love that He has found in knowing Jesus. I hope that you will be blessed by this book if you are looking for ways to share your faith with others. If you are not a Christian, I encourage you to listen to Nick’s videos – he may at the very least bring you closer to knowing God for yourself.